Al Bayda.. Houthi militia besieges the village of "Hama Sarar" and human rights and civil organizations demand a decisive international position

The terrorist Houthi militia continues to send military reinforcements to the vicinity of the village of "Hama Sarar" in the Walad Rabi'a District in Al Bayda Governorate (central Yemen), which it has been besieging since last Wednesday, as a prelude to storming it, amid widespread condemnation from human rights and civil society organizations that called for a firm international intervention to deter the militia and stop its crimes.

Local sources told "Yemeni Youth Net" that the Houthi militia had sent large military reinforcements, including tanks, armored vehicles, and dozens of militants, to the outskirts of the village of "Hama Sarar" in an attempt to storm it, amidst intensive drone flights.

The sources added that elements of the Houthi militia stormed citizens' farms on Friday and tried to destroy them, but the citizens confronted them and forced them to retreat.

The sources indicated that the Houthi militia is demanding the handover of a list of names of those accused of killing its four members who were killed after they killed two of the village’s sons at one of the newly established checkpoints, in exchange for lifting the siege on the village. However, the residents are still refusing these conditions, for fear of their sons being liquidated and the militia continuing its campaign of revenge.

On Wednesday, Houthi elements killed two residents of the village of Hamat Sarar at a security checkpoint, which angered the residents who clashed with the militia elements and killed four of them after they barricaded themselves in the minaret of the village mosque.

 113 organizations condemn the siege

Meanwhile, 113 human rights and civil society organizations condemned, in the strongest terms, the blatant attack and brutal siege carried out by the terrorist Houthi militia on the village of Hamat Sarar in the city of Rada’a, Al Bayda Governorate.

The organizations said in a joint statement, seen by "Yemeni Youth Net", that they are following with great concern the military escalation of the terrorist Houthi militias in the village of "Hama Sarar" in Al Bayda, and their continued targeting of civilian objects, and endangering the lives of civilians, in a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law.

She added that she "condemns and denounces in the strongest terms the actions of the terrorist Houthi militias, since Wednesday, August 7, 2024, of a blatant attack and a brutal and unjust siege on the village of Hamat Sarar in the city of Rada'a, Al Bayda Governorate, where the Houthi militias besieged the village with tanks and armored vehicles and mobilized their forces around the entrances and exits of the village, to the point of flying drones over the village and blowing up the minarets of mosques."

She continued, "This came after the terrorist Houthi militias killed the citizen Saif Mardas Muqbil Ahmed Al-Sarari, aged 28 years, in addition to killing another citizen from the village of Sarar at a militia checkpoint at the entrance to the village, which prompted the families of the dead to demand retribution for their sons, but the Houthi militias met their demands with repression and intimidation."

Civil society organizations in Yemen said, "Since its coup, the terrorist Houthi militias have attacked hundreds of villages and isolated areas in various Yemeni regions and governorates under its control, and have escalated their crimes and violations against civilians, including killing, displacement, and bombing homes, and have committed atrocities against them, as part of their attempts to break the will of the Yemenis and subject them to their extremist project and ideas."

The statement considered the Houthi militias' continued firing of bullets and shells at the heads of civilians and targeting women, children and populated areas a war crime, a flagrant violation of national and international laws and norms, and a clear disregard for all international and regional initiatives aimed at establishing peace in our country.

Civil society organizations in Yemen expressed their regret over the silence of the international community and international organizations regarding these violations that threaten and undermine all efforts aimed at establishing peace and stopping the war. They called on the Security Council and the international community to assume their responsibilities towards the systematic and ongoing attacks and terrorism against women and children in the Qifah and Rada’a areas.

In their joint statement, the organizations called on the international community to assume its responsibilities towards these crimes and to deal firmly and seriously to deter the Houthi militias.

Civil society organizations in Yemen also called on all local and international human rights bodies and organizations to condemn this crime and expose it to local and international public opinion, and to pressure the Houthi militias to stop their attacks on civilians and hold accountable the killers and those involved from the Houthi militia leaders.